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John Bowen
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Cold Sweats and Vignettes: A short collection of short stories - Science Fiction and Horror Kindle Edition

by John Bowen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 500 ratings
From the Amazon US/UK Top #100 bestselling author of Where the Dead Walk, Vessel, Death Stalks Kettle Street and Crow's Cottage.

Experience 50 pages of spiiiiine-tingling supernatural terror and science fiiiiiction...

THE STEAL - A thief is hired by a collector to acquire an occult aaaaaartefact...
CRASH - A hard landing on an alien plaaaaaanet...
COLLISION - A world changing incident at the Laaaaaarge Hadron Collider...
THE FALL - A London gangster finds himself in a baaaaaad situation....


What Amazon verified purchasers are saying -

- a wonderful and diverse collection of stories. The Steal, a terrifying heist-with-a-difference, Collide, a Wyndham-esque tale of potential global disaster and its effects on human society, Crash, a space story with a clever sting, and The Fall, Tarantino with a difference – vastly different subjects, told in very different styles, but always with wit, tension, and in every case a twist you won’t see coming.

- Bowen's gift is in the execution. He takes spaceships and time-travel and gangsters and delivers us little nuggets of story that work so well. I left this small collection satisfied and with a grin on my face. Bowen is a funny, clever writer and he makes me smile.

- These stories are creepy, funny, wondrous and scary, all at the same time.

- This book contains 4 short stories: The Steal, Collide, Crash, and The Fall. All four are full of suspense and delicious tension. I am hard pressed to say which was my favorite in the collection as they were all worthy.

- It almost doesn't matter which genre you're into – these stories will reach out and grab you. They'll suck you right in, and also make you laugh at the same time.

- Eerie, dark and thoughtful, Cold Sweats and Vignettes is an awesome collection of short stories that chill your brain as well as your spine. Definitely recommended to fans of strange fiction and short stories.

- intriguing characters in eerie situations, surprising revelations, and plot twists, they draw you in quickly and then leave you with a "wow" at the conclusion.

- these shorts are like a short sharp punch to the ribs. They get their point across, they’re full of wallop, plenty of grit and depth.

- you think you’re on a harmless trip through the woods to grandma’s house, but then….BAM!....the big, bad wolf jumps out from behind a tree and drags you down the rabbit hole into Narnia.

- Brilliant book. A must read.
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  1. Print length
    50 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
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  4. Publication date
    March 17, 2015
  5. File size
    4.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
500 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the short stories in this collection wonderfully imaginative, with one review noting how they cover different layers of fiction. The book is thoroughly enjoyable, with one customer describing it as a perfect palate cleanser between novels. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer specifically praising the author's word smithing.

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Story qualityReadabilityWriting quality
36 customers mention "Story quality"33 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the short stories in this collection, finding them well-written and wonderfully imaginative, with one customer noting how they cover different layers of fiction.

"...of the stories, there is a wink towards pulp fiction, a nod towards science-fiction, and a hearty handshake to all things suspenseful and paranormal...." Read more

"...There are four well developed short stories in this 48-page collection which is available free to all and not through the Kindle Unlimited..." Read more

"...I am reading this author and I must confess that these stories are creepy, funny, wondrous and scary, all at the same time...." Read more

"...I loved all four stories, but "Crash" was my favorite. Four quick tales that kept your attention until you reached the surprising twist at the end..." Read more

21 customers mention "Readability"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a great little read that is thoroughly enjoyable, with one customer noting it serves as a perfect palate cleanser between novels.

"...this author and I must confess that these stories are creepy, funny, wondrous and scary, all at the same time...." Read more

"...This was a nice read and wish the author good luck for more." Read more

"These four stories were a fantastic getaway from the common life. I loved all four stories, but "Crash" was my favorite...." Read more

"...This small book is well worth the read, though." Read more

7 customers mention "Writing quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer noting it's an art form and another highlighting the author's word smithing skills.

"Short story writing is an art form, and John Bowen delivers it four times over...." Read more

"...While I thought most of the stories were pretty well written, I didn't quite 'get' the LHC story. May have to re-read that one..." Read more

"I'm a recent fan, and love Mr Bowen's word smithing, crafting a story, and dry twisted humor...." Read more

"A good read. The author does a very good job of throwing in a major plot twist into the stories that you don't anticipate." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jmfb156
    5.0 out of 5 stars You can't not love these stories
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    It almost doesn't matter which genre you're into – these stories will reach out and grab you. They'll suck you right in, and also make you laugh at the same time. Any one of them could easily be developed into a full-length novel, there is so much character and richness there. Do your best to have your e-reader be one that shows color graphics, because the magazine clips interspersed with the story "Collide" add so much to the news blurbs: it's all so real that you wonder if it's actually true and you just happened to be asleep for that week... As for the rest of the stories, there is a wink towards pulp fiction, a nod towards science-fiction, and a hearty handshake to all things suspenseful and paranormal. As I said, you can't not love these stories.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Ron K
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Short Stories, Four Surprises
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Cold Sweats And Vignettes by John Bowen is a collection of stories and teasers which surprised me with how good they are. Many short reads like this are just teasers for longer works and don't impress me with anything new. In a forward, Bowen writes that yes, he has done longer work and other stories, but those presented here were not to boost sales of a different book. There are four well developed short stories in this 48-page collection which is available free to all and not through the Kindle Unlimited subscription program.

    Story one: The Steal Rupert Motcombe is dying. Confined to a wheelchair and barely able to wheeze even with the attached breathing devices, Rupert has just one wish before he dies. He makes his request to Lucas Smith, a type of business partner but primarily an art thief. Lucas will steal anything from other art collectors so that the stolen goods will appear in the private collection of his current client. The thefts will never come to the attention of the police because the private collector from whom the art was stolen had himself stolen it from another source. Money paid to Lucas also didn't exist; there was no tax liability. For that matter, Lucas didn't exist. The former original bearer of the Lucas Smith identity had died years before. The present Lucas was truly off the grid.

    With all of this anonymity, there is a price to be paid and a danger to be reckoned with. Lucas is about to find out just how private Rupert's collection really is.

    Story two: Collide There has been an accident at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern. In a type of explosion that we might associate with a Chernobyl nuclear accident as far as size, things not only exploded but there was a type of implosion where animals (to include humans), as well as plants and insects, were swept up from the past and the future and deposited in the present. There had to be a huge quarantine as scientists were immediately worried about the transmission of disease. Something might come from the past which we had wiped out so there were no present day immune systems capable of defending against attack. There was a similar danger from future bacteria and viruses. Then there was the damage possible to society and culture. “Immigrants” from the future might reveal to present time residents the invalidity of entire belief system and end up sending present day folks into severe culture shock.

    This story has lots of interesting and unique things to think about. The presentation is quite interesting as the story is told in the way it might be presented by different media. There is also the interpretation of how media would change over time. I was impressed with, and laughed at, the problems and descriptions of the “temporal refugees” from the future.

    Story three: Crash The spaceship had hit something. They were going to crash as the ship was captured by the nearby planet's gravity. Ben was the only survivor, his three crew members were dead. The only positive thing was that the planet where Ben landed (crashed) had a climate similar to his own. All the planets to be charted shared this characteristic. The planet was inhabited. The natives appeared to be armed but in his injured condition, Ben was not a threat. There was only one question of immediate interest.

    Where was he?

    Story four: The Fall Eddie Flynn knew he was in trouble when he woke up bound to a chair in a room very familiar to him. He had done some of his best work there. Some of the same instruments he liked to use were present on a nearby table. The pliers, the claw hammer, the knife, and the battery with leads that could be attached anywhere on the body were all familiar to Eddie. He knew what was going to happen and he was scared. But he couldn't show it. He had to convince his “host” that the best thing would be to let Eddie go. There would be rewards. Eddie had to carry out the best bluff of his life. However, there are those who are not interested in the short-term immediate gratification that Eddie was offering.

    Some liked to play the “long game.”
    4 people found this helpful
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  • GaGa
    3.0 out of 5 stars Likable, but Forgettable
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I didn’t dislike this book, but the stories were a bit contrived. I saw the twists coming a mile away, but, to be fair, I’ve read/watched a lot in this genre. I would recommend this as a very light read.
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  • Nikisha Winter - Roach
    5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is the first time I am reading this author and I must confess that these stories are creepy, funny, wondrous and scary, all at the same time.
    Having read at least a thousand books in my 33 years of reading, Mr. John Bowen ranks in my top twenty. He can hold his own with the likes of Asimov, King, L'Amour and other greats of differing genres!
    Will be buying his books again (both for my Kindle and the "real" kind) in the future!
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  • LadyRosenoir
    4.0 out of 5 stars Tapa of terror tales
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book was a nice first glimpse into the works of the author as each story covered different layers of fiction. I wish many of the stories were longer or maybe become stand alone novels as they were good. They just needed to be fleshed out more . One story covered was very science fiction heavy which I don't prefer so that could explains why it was the lackluster of bunch. This was a nice read and wish the author good luck for more.
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  • Kindle Customer mira
    2.0 out of 5 stars Could've been better
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A lot of times the ending is the best part you can ruin a short story or a book with a bad ending
    One person found this helpful
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  • Dave Neal
    5.0 out of 5 stars A quick little trip beyond reality
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    These four stories were a fantastic getaway from the common life. I loved all four stories, but "Crash" was my favorite. Four quick tales that kept your attention until you reached the surprising twist at the end of each one. Again, I am impressed with Mr. Bowen's work and can't wait to read more.
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  • Anglophile
    4.0 out of 5 stars Welll
    Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The idea was a good one but the endings left the reader wondering. They were too vague. Left me wondering what happened!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Sean Talbot
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short Stories
    Reviewed in Canada on March 19, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am not one for short story collections as I find that most of the stories don't have a lot of strength to them. This book was a change for me as it really showed a great deal of thought and also allowed me to learn just how the author writes.
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  • Iain M. Grant
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gooood stories...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Look at the product description for this book.

    "Experience 50 pages of spiiiiine-tingling supernatural terror and science fiiiiiction...
    THE STEAL - A thief is hired by a collector to acquire an occult aaaaaartefact...
    CRASH - A hard landing on an alien plaaaaaanet...
    COLLISION - A world changing incident at the Laaaaaarge" - yeah, you get the idea.

    All those extra vowels. Did they annoy you or were they just a bit of fun? Could you imagine Mr Bowen with a big grin on his face as he wrote them? I can.

    In fact, I imagine, Bowen was grinning all the while as he wrote these stories. Why? Because, above all else, they're fun. Not silly fun, not childish fun (blimey, this stories are anything other than children's stories); they're good, honest "I'm gonna sit down and tell you a story" fun.

    This is a short collection but the overriding feeling I had at the end was neither "glad that's over" or "I feel short-changed". No, what I felt at the end was a burning desire to read more.

    The Steal is a classic horror story - a little bit Poe, (and a little bit Elmore Leonard) - with a punchline that, though not original, is handled so deftly that I felt it in my gut.
    Collision is a story that, one day, deserves to be a novel. Or maybe not. It's a joke, a clever joke, and Bowen leaves the stage at just the right moment.
    Crash is a Twilight Zone/Tharg's Future Shocks/Tales of the Unexpected story that really pleases.
    And The Fall? That's just nasty. Funny and nasty. Funny and nasty and again with a wonderfully realised twist.

    Bowen's gift is in the execution. He takes spaceships and time-travel and gangsters and delivers us little nuggets of story that work so well. I left this small collection satisfied and with a grin on my face. Bowen is a funny, clever writer and he makes me smile. That's gotta be worth five stars.
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  • SandraL
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short but very sharp
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I'm not really a short story fan, but for John Bowen I decided to make an exception. This is a fun, short listen (about an hour). The stories are short but very sharp and they all have a twist at the end. Reminded me a bit of Tales of the Unexpected. Surprisingly I even enjoyed the sci fi ones, as this is a genre I really do not usually enjoy. In fact my favourite story was Collision, which was very cleverly written as a series of news articles.

    The narration by Phil Mayes was excellent.
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  • summertime
    3.0 out of 5 stars No Cold Sweats
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Had I purchased this book I would have been disappointed, “The Steal” used some dreadfully painful phrases, much like a poor copy of an American detective story, "Mortcombe looked terrible, frail as a politician's promise and old enough for his first childhood pet to have been a trilobite," but I persevered and the ending was a good twist, if not unexpected. “Collide” I just couldn’t see the point and almost lost the will to live. “Crash” was an interesting short story and again the end wasn’t unexpected but still an interesting read. “The Fall” was perhaps the best of the four but that’s probably because I have a twisted mind. I have read the reviews of “Where the Dead Walk” which caught my attention and hopefully the writing will be much better.
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  • Melanie Preston Lewis
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Compilation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I very rarely read short stories or novellas; I find them irritating. But the general brilliance of John Bowen's writing was enough to entice me into investing in Cold Sweats and Vignettes. Was it worth straying from my principle of not bothering with the genre? It most certainly was. Once again the elegantly eloquent Mr Bowen has served up a medley of scary science fiction and fantastical stories. They are all short, sharp and to the point. Each story is witty, well thought out, well paced, well written and well presented. How can a reader fail to be impressed by an author who time and again serves up such a smorgasbord of pithy and original ideas? The little novels contained within this book are entertaining, enlightening and enormously enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone who likes a fabulous story, brilliantly told.
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